Rodman Charged With DUI; Rep Cites His Long Battle

Former NBA basketball star Dennis Rodman leaves the Koryo hotel for Sunan International Airport on Saturday, June 17, 2017 in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

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Dennis Rodman was pulled over late Saturday in Southern California, where police allege he was driving under the influence. USA Today reports the five-time NBA championship winner was first stopped by cops in Newport Beach around 11pm for vehicle code violations before officers began a DUI investigation. According to reports, Rodman was given a breathalyzer test before being arrested and booked into Newport Beach Jail. The legal limit in California is .08, but police did not release Rodman's test results. TMZ reports the 56-year-old was cooperative and that he remained in custody for seven hours before officials determined he'd sobered up enough to go home. Rodman was previously arrested on DUI charges in 1999 and 2003.

"Alcoholism has been a struggle on and off for Dennis the past 15 years," a rep for Rodman told TMZ on Sunday. Rodman retired in 2000 after 14 seasons in the NBA. More recently, he's made headlines for his unlikely bond with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Just last month, the LA Times reported that Rodman wanted to arrange a diplomatic basketball game between North Korea and Guam, a US territory. “The people in Guam are all about it. They love it," he said while on what he called a "humanitarian" tour of Asia aimed at bridging the rift in US-DPRK relations. With President Trump and Kim Jong Un trading fiery rhetoric, Rodman used the occasion of his fifth and most recent North Korea visit to present a state official with a copy of Trump's The Art of the Deal in June. (Read more Dennis Rodman stories.)

Dennis, if you have one beer, driving is NOT what you do; Driving is not only an athletic event, but any crash could be fatal, often for the victim. An excellent law would make alcohol in restaurants illegal and close down bars. Just stupid to sell alcohol to people on the road. Did you play under the influence? Doubt it, coach and the floor would know in 30 seconds. Consider, peds that wear dark clothing and are hard to see during daylight in certain conditions where background camouflages ; bicyclists on side of lane, motorcycles all so tiny, traffic hazard popping up; darkness is another hazard, late hour causes added sleepiness; dots connected.

moonma

Jan 15, 2018 4:57 PM CST

Alcoholics are a deadly menace on our roads. Cops only care about the hard worker who stops for a couple beers after work. They wait in the parking lot while the real drunks are out on the highway terrorizing everyone. Drive west on I-290 coming from Chicago at 2AM on Saturday night and you'll see the most drunk drivers ever!